Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-14
STOCK LOSSES.

The Rocky Mountain Husbandman has
Al article in it's last issue in which it takes
the Montana Union Railway to task for
killing the stock OF farmers in the Deer
Lodge Valley and refusing to pay a sufficient
remuneration for the stock SO destroyed,
and seems to apprehend measures OF re-
taliation by the losers in acts Of violence.
It eounsels GOODNESS and caution on the
part of the sufferers and urges the ex-
haustion Of all legal means OF redress.
Failing the courts. it reminds the sufferers
that they have N effective remedy in tho
ballot bex by which they can elect men
who will advocate their cause in the Legis.
lature and provide q legislative remedy.
The trouble to which it refers is one that
will exist everywhere that railroads run
whore stock are not prevented from stray
ing on the track by fencing. All railroads
are regarded as soulless corporations. It
is looked upon IS perfectly legitimate to
bleed them to the utmost limit they Will
endure. The roads have rules for their en-
ployes to observe in the event OF
stock being run over which are
AAuSCAuly CukOICcOs VUSu D. IEdlu OI Une
Montana Union has the misfortune to kill
any stock, the conductor is required to stop
the train, and ascertain the brands upon the
animal OF animals, which it is his duty to
report at the end Of his run. But the diff
Guilty lies in the adjustment of the value OF
the animals killed. In every instance,
nearly, the value is placed over than I'M.
der the loss sustained by the rancher. It
10 In the settlement Of this that the delay
occurs, and the rancher is, after all, not to
be blamed il he is dissatisfied with the re-
suit, since it is human nature to place a
higher value on your property than an
other is willing to conceds. The only re-
course the rancher has is the courts, but
unless the loss is a serious one, the expense
OF q legal contest would outweigh the
damages awarded, even were they as lib
eral al those claimed by the raneher.
The best remedy for the trouble would
be the passage OF q law requiring she
ROADS TO fence their lines. This
would entirely obviate the difficulty in the
future. It would be expensive to the com.
panies, OF course, but if the Montana Uni1n
has as much disputes about cattle run over
to adjust as the Husbandman indicates, it
would pay in the long run. Another plan
would be the passage OF q law requiring the
adjustment OF stoek-destruction losses by
reference to arbitration in the usual man j
Nor, the stock loser to selsct one arbitra-
tor. the railroad a second and these two a
third. whose decision would be compulsory
OF acceptance by both parties. 1t made, as
1t should be, loon after the loss il caused,
and upon the epot whers the value Of the
stock could easily be ascertained, a true
and fair result could 1s reached without *. |
psnse or friction OF feeling to either party. |
It might bs demurred by the railroads that |
arbitratOrs SO selected would be certain to |
mulet them numerically on the almost Ger. |
tainty that the neighbors OF the rancher
who lost the stock would stand in with him |
50 40 to ensure similar liberal treatment
when their turn came. But this could be OBJ
waited by provisions that the third arbitra-
tor be not taken from the n~eighborhond
where the stock was destroyed. It would |
seem to be the most effective and cheapest |
way OF settling such disputes with a rail.
road company. and something in this ma.
lure ia necessary until railroads are 70.
CURED to fence their line OF way.